James J. Murray has years of experience in both pharmaceutical manufacturing and
clinical patient management. Medications and their impact on a patient’s quality
of life is his expertise, but his secret passion for murder and mayhem is a whole
other matter. An obsession with reading murder mysteries and thrillers left him longing
to weave such tales of his own. Drawing on his past clinical expertise as a pharmacist
and an infatuation with the lethal effects of drugs, James creates novels of Murder,
Mayhem and Medicine that will have you looking over your shoulder and suspicious
of anything in your medicine cabinet.

Book title: Lethal Medicine

Brief Synopsis:

Jon Masters is a clinical pharmacist. He and his wife Gwen own a chain of specialty
pharmacies, but under that successful business veneer Jon is a psychological mess.
Jon’s life implodes when he discovers that the investigational drug study he is managing
is a sham. Evidence found at a murder scene implicates him in an elaborate scheme
to distribute a cheap, yet pharmaceutical quality, street drug cleverly disguised
as the experimental drug. The indictments mount and Jon fights back by rekindling
his Special Forces past. With the help of a trusted friend, Ed Ochoa, Jon returns
to the world of covert ops and cyber intelligence as he embarks on a quest through
China and Mexico to prove his innocence. Racing against time before his life shuts
down, Jon struggles to regain control as he uncovers a complex international conspiracy
to redefine the nation’s recreational drug culture.

Personal

What do you do to relax when you are not writing?

I spend way too much time on social media rather than writing, but have now gotten
that down to about an hour or so a day. I like to read, watch TV and my wife and
I love to go dancing. We’re expert ballroom dancers.

What, or who, inspired you to become a writer?

I like to stay busy and want to share something special with others. After selling
my pharmacy practice, I had no such outlet for that need. For many years, I had a
secret desire to write novels but never had the time to indulge that dream. Now I
have the time and freedom to do so. It’s the ultimate fun job.

Current work

What or who inspired you to write your current novel?

Being an avid murder mystery and thriller reader for many years, I would often turn
to my wife and say, “What would happen if…?” One day a few years ago, while waiting
for a flight to travel to some distant land for a vacation, I turned to my wife and
asked her that very question and we began discussing a plot and then added some characters
to the equation. By the time we boarded the flight, I had given the characters names
and my wife suggested that I write a story outline. That outline turned into this
first novel and I’ve been writing ever since.

Tell us three interesting facts about your book which are not covered in the synopsis.

1) This first book has evolved into a trilogy for my main character. The second in
the series is finished and being edited at this time. Before publishing this first
book, however, I want to start the third book so that each will be published within
a reasonable time of the previous one.

2) There are some interesting descriptions of science (both pharmaceutical and computer)
in the novel, and I’ve struggled to keep it interesting without being too technical.
I think I was successful.

3) The book gives an interesting perspective of modern life in China.

What research did you need to do for this book?

The pharmaceutical science was easy since that is my profession, but I struggled
with the computer technology and sought advice on that. I also did lots of research
into modern China—even travelling there for a first-hand perspective.

Are any elements/characters of your book based on real life experiences or people
you’ve met/known?

My protagonist, Jon Masters, is a clinical pharmacist like I was before retirement,
so his professional life came from that experience. But Jon is much more flawed than
I am with a dark past and some interesting Special Forces experience that gives him
the talents needed to tackle the obstacles he needs to overcome to get his life back.

Tell us a little about your current work-in-progress.

The book is called State of Illusion and it’s the second of the trilogy in the life
of Jon Masters. He’s thrust once again into the middle of chaos when his friend (and
mentor) is murdered and his widow asks Jon to help find the killer. This leads Jon
on a dangerous quest through India to unravel the complexities of secondary drug
wholesalers, where anything and everything can be distributed for the right price.
He uncovers illicit reverse pharmaceutical engineering and foreign patent infringements
that threaten to flood the nation’s drug delivery system with cheap counterfeit drugs.

Writing/publication process

What process did you adopt from inception through to the finished book?

I did an outline of the major chapters and that evolved into major scenes to propel
the story forward to its conclusion. Then I was able to fill in the remaining chapters
as I fleshed out the first draft. To develop my main characters, I use a 3-P process.
I write out a page outline on each character to define their physical, psychological
and philosophical characteristics before I ever use them in a scene.

What do you need (or not need) around you whilst writing?

Complete silence, so I can immerse myself into the world I’m writing about.

What prompted you to self-publish your current book?

My first book won’t be published until early next year, but I chose to self-publish
because I wanted to control my character’s development. Since I envisioned a trilogy
of books to get my protagonist from one point in his life to another, I wanted to
control that process. A major publisher most likely would not allow me that control.

What were the three biggest challenges you faced when writing your book?

1) Learning the ART of writing. I wrote the equivalent of two other novels before
I felt that my writing was good enough for publication. Those other two novels will
never see the light of day, but they taught me how to develop characters, write realistic
dialogue and to achieve good story flow.

2) Finding the time to write. I could write all day every day, but life gets in the
way even for someone retired from another profession, like myself. Besides, my wife
tells me I need balance in my life.

3) Setting up a quiet place to write where I could surround myself with all my notes
and not have to move them until finished. I have a room in the house devoted to my
writing now.

Every author seems to suffer with writer’s block at some point. How do you overcome
it?

First, have a set place to write so that, when you get into that spot, your mind
begins to think about writing. However, when I get stuck and don’t know what to write
next, I take a couple of days off from writing. The guilt stimulates me back to the
computer and the thoughts flow once again.

What single piece of advice would you give to any aspiring writer?

Don’t give up the dream. If you want to be an author, the opportunities to publish
are greater now than ever before. Write as often as you can and keep your focus on
the goals you’ve set.

Genre

What genre does your book fall into?

Thriller/Mystery

How did you get interested in this specific genre?

This has always been the genre that I love to read. I seek out stories that stimulate
the mind and get the adrenalin pumping.

You as a reader

Which three authors have inspired you the most, and why?

1) Joseph Finder—because his novels place everyday people into impossible situations
that test their talents to the limit

3) Steve Martini—because his novels never rely on gimmicks to weave a good story

What was your favourite book as a child?

Interestingly, I didn’t read much as a child, except what I was made to read in school.
I began to read some simple thrillers in high school, but not until my wife introduced
me to well-crafted novels did my love of reading blossom. The early Tom Clancy novels
ignited that desire to consume books and the need to read continues as I age.

What is the best book you’ve read in the last 12 months?

Defending Jacob by William Landay

What was the last book you recommended to a friend, and why did you think it was
worthy of recommendation?

It was Defending Jacob. I recommended it because it was truly a literary crime novel.
This legal thriller has mesmerizing prose and an imaginative twist at the end.

Kindle (or other e-reader) or paperback, and why?

Both. If I had to choose, however, I would say an e-reader because I can load so
many books onto it. I’ve been known to read two novels at a time and an e-reader
makes that easy. Since I fly fairly often, the only problem with an e-reader is that
I have to turn the device off during take off and landing, and that irritates me.

Hollywood is calling

You’ve had the call from Hollywood and they want your opinion on who should play
the leading roles in the film based upon your book. Who would you choose, and why?

Gerard Butler, the Scottish actor, should be Jon Masters. He’s ruggedly handsome,
has a “scrappy” nature and has a commanding presence—all good qualities for a successful
professional about to lose it all and fighting for his life.

The film of your book is now going to need a soundtrack. Which musician(s) would
you want to write and play it?

Gotye, the Australian musician-singer-songwriter. The music is haunting.